Author: Press Room

Weathering the fallout over comments on how police presence makes some people feel less safe, Green MP Tamatha Paul appeared on Marae over the weekend to defend her view.Paul said she had been given feedback around beat patrol “hostility” towards the homeless community and was told of a case which claimed officers threw out their belongings.A former Wellington City councillor, Paul said she led an initiative that investigated alternative approaches to build city safety beyond relying on police action.“We looked into things like active and ethical bystander intervention, having officers and wardens on the ground, we worked with the Māori…

National and New Zealand First are on the rise in the latest 1News Verian poll, with the coalition having the numbers to again form a government.Labour on the other hand has fallen by 1% in the poll, which surveyed 1000 eligible voters and ran from March 29 to April 2.If an election were to be held today, the right bloc of National, ACT and New Zealand First would have 64 seats, enough to form a coalition, while the left bloc of Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori would have 58 seats. That’s a turnaround on February’s poll, which put…

Some Woolworths supermarkets opened late this morning after a technical issue with electronic shelf price labels. In a statement at 9am, a Woolworths spokesperson said all stores should be open now.”We expect that the issue will be resolved quickly and the impact on customers will be minimal.””In simple terms, the electronic shelf labels are currently displaying the standard shelf price of all products and not showing special prices.”If a product is on promotion this week, our customers won’t miss out as they will be charged the promotional price at the checkout.”Mary Fastier went to pick up her click and collect…

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has made it easier for people to apply for a job in a bid to get more boots on the ground.Documents obtained by RNZ show last year it quietly removed some entry requirements for NCEA levels 1 and 2.To apply to train as an army combat specialist, auto-technician and plumber, a navy diver and logistic specialist, and an air force firefighter – among other roles – now requires three years of high school up to year 11, instead of passing Level 1 credits.IT specialists, aircraft technicians, and helicopter pilots are among a range of…

A large industrial fire in Christchurch has sent black smoke billowing across the east of the city this afternoon.Fire and Emergency NZ were called to Maces Rd in Bromley at around 12.52pm on Monday.Ten crews from Anzac, Christchurch City, Woolston, Spreydon, Wigram and Redwood are currently in attendance.”If the smoke is impacting your property, please close all doors and windows,” a Fire and Emergency spokesperson said.”Please stay away from the area to allow our crews to safely extinguish this fire.”Fire and Emergency NZ were called to Maces Rd in Bromley at around 12.52pm on Monday. (Source: 1News)It comes after smoke…

An agreement is now in place to manage the construction of the second Ashburton bridge and connecting road as one project.Ashburton mayor Neil Brown said the bridge is really important for the community.“I’m excited all the necessary paperwork to get it started is now signed and sealed.”NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) and the Ashburton District Council signed the deal at the end of last week.It means NZTA will tender the full work package as a design and build project later this year.The Government announced in December it would completely fund the 360-metre bridge, plus embankments from Chalmers Avenue to…

Australian outdoor media company QMS has taken full ownership of New Zealand advertising and radio company MediaWorks. QMS – which previously owned just under 55% of MediaWorks – bought the remaining 45% owned by US investment company Oaktree Capital Management. MediaWorks owns well-known radio stations, including The Breeze, Mai FM, More FM and The Rock. It previously owned television channel Three before it was sold to US-based Warner Bros. Discovery. On the full QMS takeover, MediaWorks chief executive Wendy Palmer said she was “excited about this milestone”. “Since 2019, MediaWorks has built a strong relationship with QMS, and this transaction…

Auckland commuters face a fortnight without train services as the city’s rail network closes from Saturday for maintenance and upgrade work.The 16-day shutdown will see buses replace trains over the school holidays between April 12 and 27. The closure was first announced last year.Rail workers will be focused on maintenance, renewal, and upgrade projects, according to KiwiRail, which will help support the opening of the City Rail Link project next year.”Passenger and freight trains won’t be running during this time of lower demand when schools and universities are closed, and many Aucklanders are on holiday,” a spokesperson said.”The closure enables…

Inland Revenue (IR) has ramped up efforts to ensure tax compliance, with a sharp increase in audit activity uncovering more than half a billion dollars in undeclared tax.Following a $29 million allocation in the most recent Budget to address outstanding tax debts, the department has provided an update on the progress of its enhanced compliance work.In the first half of the financial year, between July and December 2024, IR opened 3600 audits – 50% more than the same period last year.IR segment lead for significant enterprises Tony Morris said $600m in additional tax that should have been declared was found…

By Gyles Beckford of RNZ The New Zealand sharemarket has fallen sharply today following the rout on international markets at the end of last week. The benchmark top-50 index has fallen more than 3.1 percent, the biggest single session fall since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. A large number of investment funds based on US stocks and assets have also slid. Companies exporting to the US or with significant US assets or income at risk from a slowdown such as tourism are the hardest hit. Losing stocks outnumber rises by nearly five-to-one. The falls may be exacerbated…